Check-in apps can help you check in visitors 10x faster at your gym or fitness studio, save lots of paper sheets, and time in the process.
Most people search for check-in apps on Google Search, Apple App Store, or Google Play. The search results can be overwhelming. The list is very diverse, industry-specific, and varies in cost.
On one side, we have apps tailored for a specific industry like gyms, yoga studios, or schools.
On the other side, we have flexible apps and can fit into many different use-cases and customer segments.
In this article, we will examine the three best apps for gyms, yoga studios, and martial arts studios.
The contenders are (1) OneTap, (2) MindBody, and (3) Punchpass.
The main purpose of a check-in app is to assist visitors with check-in. Visitors can be different people depending on the industry, e.g. students, guests, members, customers, employees, staff, attendees, etc.
Digital check-in apps can help you streamline your check-in process, save manual labor, and time for both staff and visitors during the process.
The leading check-in apps on the market are OneTap, Mindbody, and Punchpass.
Mindbody and Punchpass serve gyms and martial arts studios, and OneTap serves multiple industries, including gyms, martial arts studios, schools, universities, events, and more.
Check-in apps exist in the price range of $0 to several thousand dollars annually. The prices most often vary based on the number of users, visitors, and administrators.
We will dig deeper into this under our comparison.
OneTap is the most valuable app, considering its simplicity, ease of use, and cost.
OneTap makes it super easy to go from an excel file with a list of names, memberships, and other custom fields to a member or visitor database.
Once you have your database, you can create a list for different classes or a general-purpose sign-in sheet for all members/visitors.
What customers love the most about OneTap is the flexibility of the check-in process.
OneTap works with businesses like the NBA Toronto Raptors, NHL Maple Leafs, NBA Los Angeles Clippers, UCLA, and many others. More than 18,000 customers have signed up for the service.
The plan is a great alternative for small businesses, events, and fitness studios.
OneTap is the only app with a free plan.
Start with OneTap for free
No credit card required. Setup your account under 5 minutes.
MindBody is a platform that delivers the whole package for fitness, salons, spa, and whatnot. You can clearly say that MindBody is a platform that has it all. MindBody is also a great platform for businesses that need the whole package in one system.
MindBody is quite similar to Punchpass.
We think MindBody is quite impressive, but some of the feedback from the users has been negative due to user experience. MindBody might be a little complicated for the businesses just starting, but for the people well known with technicalities - MindBody could be the right fit.
Some customers have been vocal about their MindBody customer service experience.
MindBody holds the whole list of features if you pay for it, so we can’t list all the features they hold.
But we can list what's in their starter package:
Based on what we can find on their web page they don’t offer any free trial. They might do it if you book a demo and ask for it.
We would assume that MindBody uses a sales rep to prep if you are a relevant client or not, before granting you access. So be aware that the process of getting a free trial by MindBody might take a while.
Their lowest offering starts at $1428 a year.
Puchpass is another check-in solution that has grown substantially during COVID. Puchpass also offers a bunch of different services in their application. Punchpass is well known in the yoga community as a check-in system.
Punchpass is more similar to Mindbody than any other solution on the market. We would also rate Punchpass as a solid provider within a check-in system that needs one system that covers everything.
We will list some of the features in their Balsam package:
Punchpass starts at $768 annually which is a good start point for many businesses. Puchpass also offers a 14-day free trial which is great to test out the system.
If you want to unlock all the Punchpass features, you need to go for their banyan plan. Still, you could pay to get extra features in the system.
Well, that sums up our comparison of OneTap, MindBody, and Punchpass.
If you want simple, easy to use, and low cost, then checkout OneTap.
If you want an app tailored for gyms, yoga studios and are willing to spend more, then consider Punchpass.
If you want an app that's been around the longest, owned by a big company, has a big and comprehensive feature set, and higher tier cost, then consider MindBody.
Thanks for reading.
